


our son, princess (is a cat)

by vonseal



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Insomnia, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, really just pure cute fluff tho, slight language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-13 17:45:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12989229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vonseal/pseuds/vonseal
Summary: myungjun didn't think he would be a hot father. he also didn't think bin would become the hot mother. but that's just precisely what happened when they took in a stray cat together.





	our son, princess (is a cat)

**Author's Note:**

> so [@hanashtro](http://archiveofourown.org/users/hanashtro/pseuds/hanashtro) wrote this awesome myungbin fic earlier today and i was like YO MAN I WANNA HELP FILL UP THE MYUNGBIN TAG. so it's not the myungbin epilogue you have all been waiting for, but it's something? something that got longer than it meant to oops.

Moon Bin had never been the most responsible of men around, Myungjun had come to realize in their time spent together as roommates. He slept in past his alarm – past _several rounds_ of his alarm – and prompted Myungjun to come into his bedroom and shake him awake. He spent too much time eating breakfast – and his second breakfast, which he fondly called _The Period Before Brunch_ – and prompted Myungjun to snatch his food away to hurry him on. He lay on the floor rather than getting ready with his clothes scattered around him – clothes from last week that he failed to wash, too – and prompted Myungjun to step on him until he got up.

And that was just two hours in the morning. That wasn't including the rest of the day.

It was exasperating, really, Myungjun had thought. It was like taking care of a giant baby.

“I'm ready to be a father,” Myungjun proclaimed once as he snatched the fork away from Bin and shoveled food into his friend's mouth. “I have all the experience.”

Bin made a muffled noise of indignation; thankfully, he waited to swallow before attempting to counter the point. “I'm not a giant baby!”

“I made you a bib out of paper towels last night.”

“Those wings were dripping with sauce because _you_ can't coat them correctly!” Bin retorted, and he stole his fork back from Myungjun's hands. “You don't have to care this much about me, anyway! I'm a grown man and I can handle myself!”

Myungjun snorted. “You're twenty. Hardly a _grown man_. You still ask me to heat up your milk for you.”

“You know the perfect temperature it needs to be! It's never too hot that I can't drink it outright, but never lukewarm that it tastes bad. It's always perfect, Myungjun!”

“And I won't always be around to watch you. You just need to stop being irresponsible and start doing things for yourself.”

Bin must have taken those words to heart, because he usually _asked_ Myungjun before making a bad decision. He usually pleaded his case and actually heeded Myungjun's words most of the time. So it was a little bizarre to one day walk into the apartment and see a cat sitting on the arm of the sofa.

Myungjun blinked. The cat blinked back.

“ _Bin!_ ” Myungjun called out, depositing his bag on the floor beside him.

Bin hurried out from the bathroom, a wide smile on his face as if he _hadn't_ just allowed a cat to waltz into their apartment.

Myungjun pointed at the creature. “What the hell is this?”

Bin's gaze followed Myungjun's finger. When he saw the cat, his eyes lit up in recognition, and he nodded his head wisely. “That,” he answered, “is a cat.”

“No shit. Where did it come from?”

“I suppose it was born from a mother cat, and for the first years – don't _throw_ stuff at me, you'll freak her out!”

Myungjun let his shoe fling across the room and narrowly miss Bin, but with the admission of _her_ , he paused, his other shoe clenched in his hands. “ _Her?_ ” he repeated.

“It's a she.”

“How do you even know that?”

“She looks like a girl cat.”

Bin's answer was so quick, so vague, so _Bin-like_ , and Myungjun couldn't help but sigh loudly. “Bin,” he murmured, “we can't keep a cat here. The landlord said no pets are allowed in the apartments. If he finds out that we're housing a _cat_ here-”

“No, look, I've thought of it all!” Bin hurried forward, snatching the spare shoe out of Myungjun's hand and tugging the older boy forward. “I've set up a litterbox for her in our bathroom, and I even went and bought a small cat bed for my room, so she won't bother you. You won't even know she's here! And when the landlord does his checkups, he always gives us a warning, so I can just hide her in my closet, because he never looks in my closet.”

Myungjun wasn't convinced, even when faced with Bin's desperate expression. “I don't know, Bin-”

“Myungjun, _please!_ She's an older cat, it looks like, so no one will adopt her, and a shelter might just put her down. She was hungry when I found her.”

“She looks well-fed.”

“Just because she's fat doesn't mean she's not hungry. You know _that_ all too well, right?”

Myungjun pushed Bin away and glared.

“Okay, I'm joking, you look perfect, Myungjun, but look how stupid _she_ looks! Do you really think a cat like her can survive without me there for her?”

“Bin-”

“I named her Princess, and now that she has a name, are you _really_ going to make me toss her back out on the streets? She might starve, or get hit by a car, or get killed by a dog, or get poisoned by those assholes in Apartment Block 206, or get carried off by a huge bird, or get electrocuted by power lines, or drown in a storm drain, or-”

“Okay!” Myungjun snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. He definitely liked animals, especially cats, and while the landlord of the apartment would have a fit if he ever found out, Myungjun _couldn't_ force Bin's new cat to accept death as an alternative. He was willing to get in trouble if it meant the cat would survive and be happy and healthy.

“Okay?” Bin repeated, and when Myungjun glanced over, his eyes were shining. “Okay, as in, _okay we can keep it?_ ”

Myungjun glanced over at the cat, who still stared at him with indifference. “We can keep it until we find a new home for it. And you have to _actively_ search for a new home, okay? I'm not going to be irresponsible and break my lease for a cat, but until we find it a place to stay, it...it can stay here.”

Bin gasped, clapping his hands over his mouth for a second before scooping Myungjun up in a hug, lifting his feet up off the ground and spinning him around once. “Thank you, thank you, _thank you!_ You're the absolute best I could ever ask for!”

Myungjun's stomach did flips – he wondered if it was Bin's words, or if it was just the sudden movement that he had no control over.

“New home for it, Bin, okay?” he repeated once Bin set him back down.

“I'll be on it tonight, don't you worry!”

But, from the looks of Bin's wide grin and his excited gestures as he spoke to his new cat, Myungjun was already certain Bin wouldn't be doing a single thing.

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

Princess was, as Myungjun had finally pointed out, _definitely_ not a girl.

“What makes you say that?” Bin had asked, cuddling up against Princess one afternoon.

“If you take the time to just look _down there_ , you'd be able to tell.”

Still, despite Bin's reluctant acceptance that, yes, Princess was not a girl, the name had already been given, and the cat had already picked up on the syllables. He was well-behaved, too, which surprised Myungjun. He had assumed feral cats would pee wherever they wished and would scratch up whatever furniture they saw. Princess just slept most of the day, and he used his litterbox as if it was second nature.

“Maybe he belonged to somebody before,” Myungjun had wondered as Princess nudged up against his outstretched hand. “He's very nice. _Too_ nice to have been a stray his entire life.”

“Well, now he belongs to me, and his previous owner was an idiot who left him to fend for himself!”

“He seemed like he was doing fine. You don't act this way about the other neighborhood cats, Bin.”

“He has _white fur!_ He was practically a sitting target for all sorts of predators.” Bin grabbed Princess away from Myungjun's affection, pouting and holding the struggling cat close against his chest. “He has a home now, and his home is with me.”

Myungjun looked unimpressed. “You said you would find him a new home.”

“I am,” Bin lied, and he planted a large kiss onto Princess' head. “It's just taking a lot longer than I thought it would.”

Myungjun nodded his head in understanding. Sometimes, these things _did_ take some time and effort. Not everyone they knew was rearing to get a cat. Most people were students, like themselves, just struggling to make it by with cheap apartment leases and meals of store-bought ramen. No one Myungjun knew would be leaping at the chance to take in a cat.

But after the second week with no sign of the cat leaving, Myungjun finally asked, “Have you even _started_ looking?”

Bin gasped in mock horror, but Myungjun could see the smile that was taking over his expression. “ _That's_ what I forgot to do!”

Myungjun was going to kill him.

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

Insomnia had been rampant in Myungjun's life since he was younger. Sleep evaded him often, and he was quite used to the medication he had to take in order to actually get _some_ sleep at night time. Bin had become aware of the situation when they moved in together and he caught Myungjun eating kimchi at three in the morning.

“Why are you up?” he had asked, his voice groggy and his fists rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Myungjun shrugged his shoulders, chewing on his food and staring down at the table with a tired gaze. Bin didn't seem to mind the lack of an answer. He simply took his seat beside Myungjun and stared over at him. “Is something the matter?”

“Nothing I'm not used to.”

Many of their friends liked to joke that Bin was unable to comprehend anything when he was exhausted. Myungjun was the only one who countered that, who _knew_ that Bin was just as sharp regardless of the time and regardless of his state of mind. And right then and there, too, he seemed to understand, giving a small, “Oh,” to Myungjun's response.

“You should go back to sleep,” Myungjun had suggested, closing the lid on his container of kimchi. “No use in _both_ of us being up.”

“I can't sleep now,” Bin complained. “If I try, I'll just worry about you all night long.”

“There's nothing to worry about. I told you, I'm _used_ to this.”

Bin slumped over on the table, large doe eyes staring up at Myungjun. “And that's what worries me.”

Myungjun thought of those words often in his hours spent tossing and turning in bed. It always made him feel warm, always brought a smile to his face, and he wasn't quite sure why.

He asked Princess early one morning, as the birds started to wake and as Myungjun's body refused to cave to the whims of exhaustion.

“He makes me feel so weird sometimes,” he whispered to the cat, rubbing behind his ear. Princess purred in his lap, obviously not paying attention to the worries of the human holding him. Myungjun didn't care. He never had anyone to talk to about his emotions, and Princess was someone who wouldn't spill his secrets and who wouldn't judge him for what he had to say. “Like, sometimes he infuriates me, you know? He doesn't clean up or he stays out too late and I have this anger boiling up inside of me. But then he smiles and it melts away and I can't help but smile back, even if he does something completely stupid, like bring in a stray cat.”

Princess didn't catch the obvious quip; Myungjun didn't expect him to, on account he was a cat.

“And when he gets close to me, I tense up like he's about to body-slam me into the ground, but I _know_ he's not, the most he'd do is hug me close, but that's probably worse. It's a lot of affection, Princess. What am I supposed to do with all of that affection?”

Princess shifted his position, curling in closer to Myungjun's chest.

“You know what I thought the other day, Princess? He was being an idiot and made these pouty lips at me, and I thought that he has very kissable lips. But he really doesn't. His lips are thin. They look like this.” Myungjun attempted to mock Bin's facial features, but he knew he fell flat. He could never replicate just how cute Bin's smile was, nor how cute his pouting was. It didn't matter, however; Princess wasn't paying attention.

“His nose is really nice, though. At first I thought I envious because it's a nice, manly sort of nose. Very well-developed. Also, he has a great sense of smell. I just have such a boring, plain nose, and it's more childish than anything. He looks like a _man_ compared to me.” Myungjun's hands continued petting, and he sighed loudly. “His face is sharper than mine. His jaw is nice and square. It's a lovely jaw, Princess. You have such a great owner. And he's tall and handsome and – oh, Princess, did you know he has abs? Like, he really works out. He wants me to work out with him, and I tried a few times, but how am I supposed to do anything when he's right beside me, with those _arms_ , and his _chest_ , and...”

Myungjun trailed off. His hands stilled, and Princess glanced up at him in irritation, wondering why the petting had stopped all of a sudden.

But there was a realization, and Myungjun felt that Princess was the only one who would be able to properly hear it. Princess was the only one around, after all. Princess was the only one who would never say anything concerning the realization.

“Princess, am...am I _in love_ with Bin?”

Princess meowed.

“I didn't want to be, but if I'm talking about him like this, what if I am?”

Princess moved his head and nudged it into Myungjun's hand. Myungjun mindlessly began to pet him once more, though his thoughts were preoccupied with the sudden onslaught of feelings.

“Princess, I _am_ in love with Bin.”

Princess was back to purring, a blissful contrast to Myungjun's inner panic.

“Do you know how dangerous it is to fall in love with your roommate? That's what happened to Jinwoo, you know, and his roommate broke his heart. I mean, I don't think Bin will ever move out if he uncovers the truth, but he might treat me differently, won't he? Maybe he'll ignore me. Or maybe he'll be extra nice to make up for _not_ liking me back. It'll be _different_. I like what we have right now, Princess. I like how I can tease him and play with him and everything's fine. But once he figures out...”

Myungjun swallowed thickly. “Princess, I will _not_ let him figure this out. This can't be spoken of, okay? He can never know.”

He repeated this to himself, a mantra in his mind, trying _not_ to imagine kissing Bin's cheek or holding Bin's hand. He knew he would have to push his feelings aside for the betterment of their relationship. They were new feelings, young emotions that had just risen up – it should be simple enough for years of friendship to win over sudden love, shouldn't it?

But he decided, maybe not, especially when he woke up later in the afternoon, a blanket spread out over his body and a nearby note that said, _I went to pick us up some chicken! Please rest. I won't be gone too long, and I'll make you some tea when I get home. Why didn't you take your medicine? I noticed you skipped out. I'm refilling it for you, though. Sit back and sleep._

“Oh, god, Princess,” Myungjun mumbled groggily to the cat, curled up in the nearby chair. He glanced up at him, ears flicking and waiting for Myungjun's next statement.

“I can't fall out of love with him now,” Myungjun whispered.

Princess looked smug.

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

Bin rushed into the apartment one day, acting as if the devil was after him. It caused quite a start for Myungjun, who hadn't expected the front door to suddenly burst open. “What the _hell-_ ”

“No time!” Bin screeched, ducking under the couch and peering into the darkness. He pulled out a few bags of chips, prompting Myungjun to, once more, ask, “What the _hell-_ ”

“No. _Time!_ ” Bin announced, stuffing the chips into the pantry. “Myungjun, pick up a bit! You need to hurry!”

“Why?”

“Sanha is coming over!”

“Sanha?” Myungjun's eyebrows furrowed. “Sanha? The landlord's kid? Why is he coming _here?_ ”

Bin was grabbing dirty socks he had left laying around, tossing them into his room hurriedly. “I met him down the hallway. He said he was coming home from school and he was sad because his computer was being fixed so he couldn't play video games, and I _stupidly_ told him that we had a Playstation he could mess with if he ever wanted to, and he decided that _now_ he wants to!”

Myungjun watched the speed-cleaning with slight interest; he wondered if he could make Sanha come over more often, since it caused Bin to actually pick up after himself. “Why do you care if our apartment is clean all of a sudden? He's a seventeen-year old brat; I doubt he's going to judge us for leaving a few things laying around.”

“Because if our apartment is clean, he might be less inclined to inform his father that we own a cat.”

There was a pause. Bin nervously chewed on his bottom lip as he stared at Myungjun, who was still taking the time to process the sentence. “Well,” Myungjun said, “he doesn't have to know if we stick Princess in your closet.”

“See, there's an issue with that, because he already knows.”

“Bin.”

“I accidentally said, _I hope you aren't allergic to cats!_ ”

“ _Bin._ ”

“He loves cats! He's excited to meet Princess! I was just talking and talking about how cute Princess was, though, and I couldn't stop and then I realized he's _the landlord's son_.”

“Oh my god, _Bin_.”

“I know, Myungjun, I'm so sorry!” Bin fell to his knees and held his hands out in front of him in a pleading motion. “Especially since I had been _so_ certain you'd be the first one to tell! But you have to forgive me, Junnie!”

He hated it when Bin used that nickname. It was cute. It sounded like something a couple would use. It made Myungjun's heart beat excitedly in his chest. And, yet, he knew it was nothing but friendship, a casual way to showcase affection – in this case, a way to ask for forgiveness.

Myungjun tried to not let it show how much that nickname affected him. He cleared his throat and put on his harshest glare. “If I get in trouble because _you_ can't keep your mouth shut-”

“You won't! If Sanha tells, I'll make sure they know that _I_ was the one keeping it here without your knowledge! I promise, Myungjun!” He scooted forward and grasped Myungjun's hands within his own, holding onto them tightly and giving Myungjun his very best _I'm-a-kicked-dog-on-the-side-of-the-road_ look.

Damn him. Myungjun's cheeks were heating up and he felt tense all of a sudden.

“Myungjunnie, _please_.”

 _Damn him_.

“Fine!” Myungjun snapped out, trying to hide his growing blush. Bin's hands were warm and coarse and strong as they gripped onto Myungjun's smaller, lighter hands. Myungjun liked to think it was a perfect fit. If they were a couple, he would like to hold onto Bin's hand whenever he possibly could.

For now, though, and for the rest of eternity, they were friends – nothing more, and nothing less. Myungjun couldn't allow himself such thoughts, so he pulled his hands back and held them close to his chest. One deep breath, and he was composed enough to speak. “But you take all the blame if Sanha tells on us.”

Bin grinned. Myungjun's breath was taken away. “Deal!” Bin said. “Thank you, Myungjun! You're the best roommate in the entire world! You're so kind and understanding, I love you!”

 _I love you_.

As Bin turned away, Myungjun gripped at the couch cushions below him.

 _I love you_.

The words had been spoken with little thought to their meaning and implication. Bin had meant it as nothing other than cute words of friendship. Bin was a _friend_. Bin saw Myungjun as only a _friend_. There was no love, no hidden crush, no secret affection.

And, yet, all Myungjun could think of was Bin saying that to him over coffee in the morning, leaning into each others' touch. _I love you_. Or maybe a lunch date, giggling into their sodas and messy sandwiches. _I love you_. At nighttime, too, their bodies tangled together, heated breath on his skin, Bin's clipped words coming out. _I love you_.

Myungjun no longer considered his love to be a blossoming emotion, something that could be stifled with neglect and abuse. It had grown into a vine, wrapped around his heart, matured enough that all Myungjun wanted now was Bin's love in return.

The doorbell rang. Bin patted Myungjun's knee, jostling him from his horrific discovery, and winked. “I'll get that. Just go put Princess in my room, okay? If Sanha asks, act shocked that I have a cat.”

Myungjun wasn't given the chance to respond before Bin scurried to the door. All he could do was follow orders, scooping Princess up in his arms and numbly walking down to Bin's bedroom.

“Princess?” he whispered, depositing the cat in the closet and staring worriedly into the cat's large, round eyes. “I'm not going to survive this, am I?”

Princess huffed.

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

Sometimes he liked to watch Bin. When it wasn't considered creepy, he liked to sit back and let his eyes drift to Bin. Sometimes Bin would be playing a video game with Sanha (who promised not to tell his father about their cat, as long as he could come over to pet it). His gaze would be focused solely on the screen. He'd cheer and boast when he won. He'd pout and mumble excuses when he lost. He was endearing and cute and sweet.

Sometimes Bin would be cooking their dinner. They switched between days to see who would cook. It was almost always ramen, as their already-limited budget was stretched even more thin with the introduction of their new pet, but sometimes they would splurge. Bin liked to buy lots of meat, and he cooked it with a hum and a smile. He would meet Myungjun's stare then, hold up a piece of meat, and say, “Open wide!” Myungjun would always comply, his heart racing, and his skin tingling where Bin's hand would brush up against him.

Sometimes, Bin would be asleep on the couch after a movie. Insomnia was even tougher to beat now that Myungjun's thoughts always rested on Bin, so Bin had taken to staying up as late as possible with Myungjun in order to make him feel less alone. Of course, after a few hours past the usual bedtime, Bin would cave to exhaustion, and he would curl up beside Myungjun, light snores coming forth from his lips, his fingers twitching from whatever it was he would dream of. Princess liked to stay in his lap then, too, and Princess would always glance up at Myungjun, an inquisitive, quiet meow given, as if to say, _why don't you tell him?_

Myungjun would bite the inside of his cheek and shake his head.

“I don't know,” he would whisper.

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

One morning, Myungjun woke up to Bin plastered against him.

They were seated on the couch, a blanket thrown across their legs, the television playing some random drama Bin had found and wanted to watch. It was cute and domestic, and Myungjun couldn't help but smile as he glanced over at his sleeping roommate.

It had been a sleepless night, one that Bin stuck around for. He had stayed up later than usual, and Myungjun wasn't sure _which_ of them had actually fallen asleep first. He hoped it was himself. He hoped _he_ fell asleep, and he hoped that Bin had leaned up on him for warmth and comfort before _he_ drifted off.

Regardless of who slept first, though, Myungjun quite liked this new position, and he curled into Bin all the more, their heads bumping up against each other.

It woke Bin up. He blinked and yawn, and Myungjun lost his smile.

“Sorry,” Myungjun whispered. “Did I wake you?”

“Hm? Oh, no. Maybe. I'm not sure. It's fine.” Bin yawned again and, suddenly, wrapped his arms around Myungjun, pulling him in closer.

Myungjun was tense in his embrace, cheek squished against Bin's shirt. He hardly dared to believe this new position, and he brought a hand up, making certain that he wasn't dreaming or that he hadn't suddenly died and turned into a ghost.

But Bin was solid, Myungjun realized upon feeling his (muscular) arms. Solid and there and holding onto him as if they actually _were_ a couple, as if their relationship didn't rely solely on casual affection and platonic love. It had been something Myungjun had imagined and thought of, something his conscience dreamed of even as he lay there awake.

“You're soft,” Bin murmured.

The vine of love squeezed at Myungjun's heart, and despite the pain of knowing nothing more could come from this, Myungjun still felt so happy. Bin cared for him, at the very least, and Myungjun could pretend that _this_ was something more, that Bin was his boyfriend, his partner, his lover, kissing his cheeks and proclaiming his love.

Myungjun sighed dreamily. “Lotion,” he answered.

“I figured. And a lack of tough, manly work.”

Myungjun gave Bin a small pinch on his arm. Bin laughed it off, nuzzling his face into Myungjun's hair and breathing in deeply.

“You stink.”

“Wow, Bin.”

“Smells like old hairspray.”

“Does old hairspray even _have_ a smell?”

“And cologne that hasn't been washed off.”

“Probably because I haven't showered yet.”

A comfortable silence fell. Bin rocked Myungjun slowly in his arms, a light hum falling from his lips. “Myungjunnie, did you sleep?”

Myungjun played with the long sleeves of Bin's shirt and shrugged his shoulders. “For a little bit. A few hours, possibly.”

“This isn't normal, is it?”

“I told you that I'm used to it.”

“Yeah, but...” Bin drew back, and Myungjun frowned from the sudden withdrawal. He wanted to continue to lie in Bin's arms and imagine if life was different for him. However, when he glanced up, he realized the worry that was evident in Bin's gaze, the deep concern expressed throughout his face. “Before it was just once in a while. And the medicine seemed to work fine; you would use it only when necessary. But now it's like you're just taking _all_ of the medicine you can and nothing happens.” Bin moved some hair from Myungjun's face, a soft, gentle gesture that made Myungjun's mouth dry. “Maybe you've become immune to the pills?”

Myungjun had to remind himself to breathe, and he nodded his head along to Bin's spoken thought. “I-It's possible,” he agreed.

Bin didn't look convinced. “Can you go to the doctor again sometime this week? He might be able to prescribe you something stronger, or maybe give you advice on how to fix this.”

Myungjun agreed again, if only for Bin's sake. “Right. Um, I'll make an appointment a little bit later, then.”

It seemed to cheer Bin up, and he grinned widely. “I can go with you, if you schedule it out of my class time. Since I've been staying up with you, I might be able to help the doctor. Especially since I know _you_ always try to brush it off as nothing.”

“I won't do it this time.”

“You said that last time.” Bin laughed, and he wrapped his arms right back around Myungjun and pulled him in close again. “But we're both off today, so let's just sleep so you won't feel so exhausted.”

Myungjun knew sleep would be impossible to attain when he was embraced so dearly. It had been his dream for the longest time – why on earth would he give it up to sleep _now?_ Instead, he kept his eyes open, scanning around the room as the sun began to shine through the window blinds. Princess was asleep on the back of the chair, his fur soaking up the sun's warmth. It was a very strategic position, and Myungjun pointed it out.

“Look,” he whispered, tugging at Bin's sleeve. “Princess knows how to get warm without a blanket.”

Bin did look, and he giggled at the sight. “He's like a little baby sometimes,” the younger boy mentioned, noting the way the cat was splayed out. “And he's getting so picky, too. I have to buy a more expensive brand of cat food now, because he's refusing to eat the cheap stuff.”

“Little bastard,” Myungjun scoffed. “Doesn't he know money doesn't grow on trees.”

Bin hummed again, and he rested his cheek on top of Myungjun's head. “I feel like a proud parent,” he mentioned. “Like, Princess is my child and I'm his mom.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, and you're his dad.”

Myungjun was certain he was dreaming. This was too bizarre, too outlandish, to not be a dream. Bin cuddling him and caring for him and calling him a father of their cat child?

It was Myungjun's dream that he longed to see if he should ever sleep.

“That would-” Myungjun started, but he stopped himself.

“What?”

“No. Nothing.” He couldn't very well say what was on his mind, not when he was Bin's roommate and friend and, apparently, cuddle-buddy. They couldn't be more than _that_.

“Tell me!” Bin whined, tightening his hold around Myungjun's body and leaning his head back in order to better stare him down. “Myungjunnie, you know you can't just start a sentence and then _trail off_ like that, you idiot. I need to hear what you have to say.”

Myungjun thought back to his conversation with the cat – or, rather, his monologue to the cat. His mindless thoughts he spilled when Bin wasn't around and the cat was the only person available to listen. _Why don't you tell him?_ the cat had questioned, telepathically, with its eyes. Myungjun hadn't an answer.

He still didn't.

“If...if I'm the mom and you're the dad, that would make us, um, a couple. Wouldn't it?”

“Not necessarily. I have a mom and a dad, and they're no longer a couple.”

Myungjun wanted to melt into a puddle and never look upon Bin again. He tried to pull himself out of Bin's grasp, quite ready to go drown in tea to hide his embarrassment, but Bin was strong and held him close. “Whoa, Myungjun, where are you going!”

 _I'm going to go kill myself_ probably wasn't an acceptable answer, so Myungjun mumbled, “I need to pee.”

Bin hesitated still, though his strength seemed to be faltering. Myungjun was finally able to push his hands down and shakily stand from his seat, clearing at his throat and pointing down the hallway. “I'm going to go pee.”

“You said that.”

“Right.”

Myungjun took but two steps before Bin suddenly spoke again. “I'd marry you in a heartbeat to care for our feline son, Myungjun.”

It was an odd thing to say, and yet it made Myungjun puff up with love and happiness, and he spun around quickly, his eyes wide. “You would?”

“Yeah! I mean, if Princess needed a father, you're the only man I think who would be up for the job of caring for my son.”

So it had nothing to do with Bin's _emotions_ and his _feelings_. It had to do with Princess, who now appeared to be listening into the conversation, if his twitching ears were anything to go by. Myungjun remembered their talk, once again, and he knew he needed to say _something_. Wallowing about in his unrequited love wasn't helping. He needed concrete evidence that Bin liked him back.

“What if Princess was out of the picture?” Myungjun asked. “Like, just imagine it was us two.”

“Well, then, I wouldn't be a mother and you wouldn't be a father.”

“Yeah.” Myungjun sat back on the couch and took a deep breath. Princess was staring at him now; if cats could have a challenge in their gaze, this one certainly did. _Why don't you tell him now?_ Princess seemed to be asking. _It's the perfect chance, the perfect set-up, and you have nothing to lose._

Myungjun trusted Bin's friendship enough to understand that he would never be left behind. Bin _liked_ him, at least in a platonic sense, and Bin was kind enough to let unrequited feelings brush off his shoulder. So if Myungjun's confession wasn't returned, at the very least, they would still be friends.

“Bin, you said if I was a father, though, we would have to be a couple, right? You're the cat mom, I'm the cat dad.”

“Right.” Bin nodded, though he seemed unsure exactly of what Myungjun was requesting.

“S-so, um.” Myungjun cleared his throat. “Would we get to do all of the couple things? Like, um, hold hands, and...and hug, and maybe kiss? Like a couple would?”

Bin glanced over at his cat, and then his gaze went back to Myungjun. “For our make-believe family?”

“What if it wasn't so make-believe! I mean, minus the cat being our son, but what if...I was Myungjun, an-and you were Bin, and we were _together_.”

It seemed to take a few minutes for realization to dawn on Bin's face. Myungjun sat there in awkward silence as the second stretched onto a minute, as the minute _seemed_ to stretch onto a full hour. And, finally, when Myungjun could no longer take the quiet, Bin made a noise of exclamation, a small, _Oh!_ as he comprehended exactly what it was that Myungjun was asking of him.

“You...feel that way, Myungjun? You feel like...doing _couple_ things? You feel like _being_ a couple?”

Myungjun swallowed thickly and whispered, “If you don't mind it, sure.”

Bin suddenly relaxed, a smile coming upon his face. “Myungjun, for such a smart guy, you're an idiot.”

“Huh?”

“I've liked you since we moved in together. I mean, I wouldn't stay up for just anyone. I wouldn't do a bunch of chores for just anyone. If I wanted a cat, I wouldn't have bothered getting a _friend's_ permission. But I didn't want to piss you off or make you upset or make you think I'm a loser. I cared more about you, about how you viewed _me_ , than anyone else I've ever known.”

Myungjun didn't know how to respond to the admission. He felt short of breath, though for a different reason rather than unrequited love, and he shakily asked, “You _like_ me?”

Bin nodded his head proudly, then reached out and grabbed Myungjun's hand. “So,” Bin murmured, “we can do these couple things you wanted. I already hugged you, and now I'm holding your hand, and the other one was...”

“A kiss?” Myungjun didn't want to press his luck, but when he asked, Bin grinned.

“A kiss,” he repeated, and he leaned forward, softly pressing his lips up against Myungjun's, savoring the few short seconds of bliss before drawing back. He bumped their noses together. “Is that alright?” he asked.

Myungjun couldn't help but grin back. The vine burst, and his heart raced. “I'd like more kisses, if you don't mind.”

“Our son is in the room, Myungjunnie.”

“Let's relocate, then. My room?”

“Your room sounds fantastic.”

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

His doctor was confused when Myungjun proudly proclaimed, “I've been sleeping better recently!”

The older man looked at Myungjun, then down at his clipboard. “Um,” he started, scratching his head in confusion. “I was told that you made the appointment because you haven't been sleeping properly for a few weeks.”

“That was then, and this is now.”

“Have you been taking your medicine, then?”

Myungjun shrugged his shoulders. “From time to time. I mean, when nothing works and it suddenly pops up for one night, I do, but I was told I should only take it as an emergency.”

“You _had_ been taking it every single day, from the looks of it.”

“Every single day was an emergency.”

The doctor didn't look convinced. He made a few notes on his clipboard before sighing loudly. “Well, I had assumed it was stress-related, for the most part. It's not uncommon for those with insomnia to experience greater symptoms when stress or anxiety is a factor.”

Myungjun nodded his head. “It's stress,” he confirmed. “Or, I think it is. I mean, I don't think the insomnia has disappeared, but it hasn't been as awful as it was for the past few weeks.”

“So you've removed the stress from your life?” the doctor asked.

From the corner of the room, a voice popped up, indignant and loud: “Like _hell_ he's removed me from his life.”

The doctor sighed again and gestured over to Bin, frustration evident in his gaze. “Tell me again why Mr. Moon must join us, as well. I thought you liked keeping your issue quiet, Myungjun.”

“I mean, he's my roommate, so he obviously figured out a _long_ time ago.”

“And is _he_ stressing you out?”

“He did,” Myungjun exclaimed, giggling when Bin pouted. “Or, rather, being around him made me think too much.”

The doctor wrote down more notes; Myungjun wondered if his official doctor's notes would claim Bin to be the source of insomnia. “Then what has _changed_ , Myungjun? Surely insomnia so bad can't go away without a sudden life change.”

Myungjun raised his eyebrows, then glanced over at Bin. “What's changed, Binnie?”

“Let's see.” Now that he could be of service, Bin sat straighter in his chair, tapping a finger against his chin. “We got a cat?”

“But that's when my insomnia really got bad.”

“Oh. Um...I sleep with you now?”

“We used to fall asleep together on the couch before it, though. I don't think that was it.”

“ _Sleep_ , Myungjun, I _sleep with you._ ”

The doctor caught on before Myungjun; he gave a small cough as Myungjun whispered, “ _Oooh_ , sex, yeah, there's that.”

“Can sex be prescribed as an actual cure?” Bin wondered, sitting forward and staring at the doctor. “Like, if you can prescribe two rounds of mind-blowing sex with Myungjun, his insomnia might vanish in an instant.”

The doctor looked quite ready to go take a drink, and Myungjun laughed, holding up a finger to his lips and gesturing for Bin to stay silent. “I don't think insomnia works like that, Hot Mom.”

Bin saluted him and whispered, “We'll try it anyway, Hot Dad.”

They both then waited for the doctor to speak, and the doctor seemed quite uncomfortable all of a sudden. “Well,” he mumbled, “I can, um...prescribe _medicine_ , just in case. I'll, um, refill your bottle, and...and just keep filling out your sleep journal, Myungjun, and notify me of anymore sudden changes, unless it pertains to an active sex life. I'm a sleep specialist, so this doesn't really concern me.” He stood from his chair and looked back and forth between the two smiling boys. “Just...both of you wait here, alright? I'll refill the medication.”

Myungjun waited until he left the room before laughing again, and he hurried over to Bin and smacked his leg. “You idiot! Now my doctor knows we're a couple!”

“Yeah? And what's so wrong about that?” Bin wrapped his arms around Myungjun's waist and stared up at him, smiling dreamily. “Were you really so nervous around me that you couldn't sleep well?”

“Mm,” Myungjun hummed out, playing with Bin's hair. “I kept overthinking. All I wanted was to be with you, and since I couldn't have it, it played with my mind.”

Bin pouted and squeezed Myungjun's hips. “Poor baby,” he cooed. “Princess should have had his conversation with you much earlier, so that way you would have told me.”

“Well, _you_ didn't tell _me_ , and from what I've heard, you liked me for longer than I've liked you,” Myungjun retorted. He bent down and kissed Bin's nose, then gave his cheek a small pat. “But we both were dumb, right?”

“You more than me-”

“We _both_ were _equally_ dumb.”

“Whatever you say, Hot Dad.” Bin gave a small giggle and swayed back and forth with Myungjun in his grasp. “But now I'm with you, and now you're with me, and now I can make sure nothing ever stresses you out again, and if it does, I'm going to fix it all.”

Myungjun liked the sound of that. He didn't have to say anything, either. He simply smiled brightly and kissed Bin again, only pulling back when he heard the doctor about to re-enter the room.

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

Bin still liked to fondly refer to their relationship as “hot parents.” He would proudly announce it, too, to whomever would listen. Introductions were interesting, and always made Myungjun giggle.

“I'm the hot mom,” Bin once said to his study partner one evening, as the two of them slaved away on the kitchen table. He gestured to Myungjun, resting on the couch with Princess in his lap. “That's my hot husband.”

“You two are married?” the study partner asked, probably noting the lack of rings on either of their fingers.

“Only in front of the cat,” came Myungjun's response.

He later told Bin that they really ought to stop before someone called them crazy, and Bin just laughed. “Someone _has_ called us crazy.”

“Someone who isn't Jinwoo.”

“Dongmin and Minhyuk both think we're insane,” Bin said, rubbing Princess behind his ears. The cat purred and purred, his eyes closed in bliss. “But you know what? I don't care. You're Princess' hot father, and I'm his hot mother.”

Myungjun curled in close to Bin's body, planting a small kiss on his cheek. “Hot Mom, you need to shave.”

“It's Sunday! I'm not going to shave on a Sunday.”

“You're like a prickly porcupine.”

“And _you_ are a soft baby.”

Myungjun pouted, but even Bin's afternoon shadow wasn't enough to stop kissing his cheeks. “Maybe I should be the mom. I'm smaller and cuter and softer.”

“No, _I'm_ the mom,” Bin argued. “Princess agrees. Princess, purr once if you agree.”

“He never stops purring when he's with you!” Myungjun complained. “Watch – Princess, purr once if you think Bin is a major asshole.”

Princess kept purring, and Myungjun gave his boyfriend a pointed look. “ _See_ , Binnie? Asking questions to your cat doesn't solve anything.”

He was hypocritical in that case, he realized, because it had been with Princess' non-verbal nudging that Myungjun was finally able to make a move. Really, he had Princess to thank for the entire relationship. There never would have been a discussion on pet parents had it not been for Princess; there never would have been a soft realization of love had it not been for Princess; there never would have been the chance to gather up his courage and confess had it not been for Princess.

“You know,” Myungjun whispered, nuzzling his nose into Bin's neck. “I thought Princess always judged me for not asking you out. Whenever I told him how much I loved you, he _looked_ like he was wondering why I never made a move.”

Bin raised his eyebrows. “Really?” he asked.

“It's stupid, I know, but he-”

“No, because...because I once told him how much I loved you. I told him everything I loved about you. And he stared at me for a few minutes and then, later that evening, when I was joking with you, I had glanced over at Princess and he looked...he looked like he knew something that I didn't.”

Myungjun listened to the story with a chuckle, and he bent down, adding on little chin scratches to multiply the affection that Princess rightfully deserved.

“It's a little weird,” Myungjun admitted.

“It's creepy as hell, that our baby can sense these things.”

“He's got some smart parents, what can I say?”

Bin grinned, and then leaned over to capture Myungjun's lips in a kiss, soft and chaste, and then moved down to Myungjun's jaw, planting kisses all along it. Finally he finished, and when he drew back, pleased with Myungjun's love-struck gaze, he muttered, “Really smart, hot parents who are going to stay together for the rest of eternity. Princess is one lucky bastard.”

Myungjun agreed, a pleasant warmth rising up in his chest as he returned the kisses as best he could.

And he could have sworn, in the second he had pulled back from Bin to gather his breath, the damn cat winked at him.

 

(^._.^)ﾉ

 

**Author's Note:**

> pls help me fill up the myungbin tag.
> 
> also the myungjin tag, im still a myungjin whore.
> 
> hmu with stuff [@vonseal](http://www.vonseal.tumblr.com), bc if you aint following me there, what are u doing with your life?


End file.
